Bubbles
by Emiri
Summary: Set in and around Act Zero, Minako and Rei begin to reconcile their feelings. I borrow from fanon and reviews are incentive to write more.


It wasn't that Minako hated flying - if anything, she loved the familiarity of it. The low rumble and excitement of takeoff; watching the houses, highways and baseball diamonds below shrink to the size of children's toys before disappearing completely below the clouds. The routine of running door to door, checking in, going through security screenings - just to make sure she hadn't suddenly become a terrorist - and the sitting. The endless sitting and waiting. Waiting to board, waiting to get to her destination... And in this case, waiting to get home.

London to Tokyo, halfway around the world. And in this case, it was the longest 13 hours Minako had ever spent. She knew she should be excited - after all, she was going back for Usagi-chan's wedding - but if she was completely honest with herself, there was another person she was more excited to see. A certain short-tempered, raven-haired priestess had been on her mind more than she'd care to admit, for longer than she could remember. Idly, she wondered if Rei had been watching her television appearances. It really wasn't fair to have that sort of one-way window into her life when she had no equal way to check in. The last she'd heard, which had been second-hand from Ami-chan, Rei had been in Kyoto for intensive miko training. They hadn't spoke since the last time they were both in Tokyo. It wasn't like Rei had ever been big on initiating contact, and Minako certainly wasn't going to seem desperate by being the one to chase after her. If anything, it was more important to not lay all of her cards on the table. At least, not just yet, and not until she could be sure that Rei felt the same way she did.

Going through the airport, she was disappointed to find no greeting party, at least not anyone that mattered. She hurriedly signed an autograph for the young girl who had been behind her on the plane, the one who had stared wide-eyed the entire time and had babbled non-stop to her travelling companion. Not unlike Usagi-chan, Minako smirked.

Despite her best intentions, she really had become quite fond of all of them. Reserved Ami-chan, secretly gentle Mako-chan, vivacious Usagi-chan... And Rei. Reiko. Rei-koi, if she could have her way. She didn't have a specific honorific for her now, because the one she wanted to use died a thousand times on her tongue, always unsaid. Calling her just a friend didn't fit, nor did being overly formal. Minako bit her lip as she thought of Rei, falling out of step with her bodyguards.

That facade always made her laugh inside. If only Shachou knew that, in a fight, Minako could easily take them both out. Some things never changed, Senshi powers or no.

Then, the youma in the underground parking garage ambushed her. The fight happened almost without thinking and she instinctively knew exactly where to strike, just as she knew the others were in trouble without having to be told. Perhaps she imagined it, but she could almost feel Rei fighting beside her, matching her step for step.

Running to fight alongside the others, she was more than disappointed that Rei wasn't there with them. It was a familiar comfort to mesh energies with the other Senshi. For just once more, to be able to transform. To go back to how things used to be. At least this time, the risks of dying were much different - not a looming inevitable curse, and if she were honest with herself, she really didn't even count it as a possibility.

Some days she really missed the fighting. It was the one way she knew she'd always see Rei, the one time that she wouldn't feel as secretly lonely as she often did. Somehow, even their powers had bonded together again. Venus and Mars entwined, just as it had been in the Silver Millenium; the destiny their past lives had written. But if Usagi-chan had re-written it all... Would she be able to have the one thing that mattered most?

She had never been able to explain to Rei just why their ties to their past selves mattered so much to her. If Rei had fully regained her memories, then surely she would have remembered their past love. Minako wasn't sure which was a worse possibility - for her to never remember, or for her to have known for that long and said nothing.

"Let me see your injury." A poor greeting, but Minako couldn't help but let a note of concern creep into her voice. She reached forward towards Rei, perhaps too expectantly.

In reaction, Rei jerked a few steps back. "I'm fine, Venus. And hello to you too."

Minako rolled her eyes. "Excuse me for caring. Uh..." She trailed off, suddenly feeling unnerved by the space between the two of them. Something in Rei's seeming rejection left her unnerved; she wasn't sure if she wanted to close the distance or flee.

Steely eyes watched the idol flinch as the the pause in conversation grew unbearably long. "Yes?"

"Uh, how was Kyoto?"

"Peaceful." If Rei didn't know any better, she could have sworn that she was making the other girl uncomfortable. A welcome change from being told she wasn't good enough, from feeling like she had to fight for her approval. Her relationship with Minako was certainly unique from the way she felt when she was with the other Senshi, though she had never quite been able to put her finger on just why. She decided to push for another reaction, just a little. Rei moved closer to Minako, getting right in her face; with her good arm, she reached up and touched the idol's face. "You're looking tired."

Closing her eyes for just a second too long, Minako's breath caught in her throat at the sensation of Rei's fingers, which lingered altogether too briefly on her cheek. "I caught a red-eye from London and just vanquished a rival that was long-overdue for a one-way ticket to hell." Minako bit at her lip, barely resisting the urge to lean forward and kiss Rei, sorely tempted to at least take hold of her hands. All in due time, she reminded herself. The worst thing that could happen is if she made too bold a move and was firmly rejected.

However, both stood where they were without moving away. The lip-bite did not go unnoticed by Rei, who found herself wanting to touch Minako's soft skin again. She realized that they were standing a little too close for what distant friends would consider respectful; after all, they did not stay in contact like close friends would, and they were neither strangers nor lovers. What else was left but to call her an acquaintance? Rei snorted as she realized how bitter she sounded in her own mind. If she were honest about it, it was hardly the idol's fault that they did not talk - after all, she was the one with the much busier life, and it's not as if Rei had made any real effort to reach out since she'd left for her last tour.

"Is something funny?" It was Minako's turn to stare down the miko. At the best of times, Rei was emotionally guarded - she did a good job of not showing her emotions, no matter how deeply they may run. Minako had been surprised to hear secondhand from Mako-chan at how badly her death had shaken the Senshi of fire.

'It was as if she was completely devastated. And heartbroken,' Makoto had said. 'It's the only time I've ever seen her cry like that. Not even her father could hurt her on that level.' But what did it all mean? Surely...

Rei scrambled for something trivial to cover for what she was really thinking. "Mmm. Just interesting to see that pop stars don't always age gracefully." As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized that it had been the entirely wrong thing to say, especially because Minako was anything but tired and faded.

Minako stepped back, feeling the sting of Rei's words. "Well it's a good thing you decided not to follow that path, then," she muttered. And to think she'd wanted to kiss those insulting lips a moment ago! Even if the miko had meant it teasingly, it was an unkind thing to say. "Anyway. I should go. See you at the wedding." With that, Minako turned on her heel, all but running away. She wouldn't - no, couldn't - stay if she was going to be further insulted by the one person she wanted to give her heart to. This was anything but the welcome she had fantasized about a hundred times in her mind.

Rei's head spun with how quickly Minako exited the room. Before she could even call after her, the idol had completely vanished. Rei found herself rubbing her own cheek, a mirror of the way she had reached for Minako just moments ago. It was clear from the immediate exit that Rei had really screwed things up. If she wanted to make things right - and more likely, if she wanted to spend more time with Minako, which she very much did, even though she found her equally frustrating and fascinating - she would have to swallow her pride and apologize.

They didn't speak again until well after the wedding ceremony. Every time Rei had tried to approach Minako in the rare moments she was alone, she found that they immediately became surrounded by other people. The other senshi, random friends and fans... It didn't matter. Someone else always seemed like they were there to watch over Minako. It was if she had sent out a world-wide alert that Rei Hino was not to be trusted, no matter what. The closest they had come to talking was when they brushed up against each other, both half-assedly reaching for the bouquet. Though Minako had stared her down, Rei had seemingly lost the ability to speak. The distance between them had never felt more palpable.

With a twinge of jealousy, Rei had wondered if the latest tabloid rumours about Minako were true. Maybe she had actually paired up with that male idol, Ben-what was his name? All she knew was that he was English and his cheekbones seemed to make him popular with every woman on the planet. Benedict, yes. That was his name. Like the breakfast food. Something to be eaten. However, Minako spoke perfect English. Of course she - if anyone - would be able to capture the heart of this man.

"Shit." Rei slammed the door to her room, jostling it out of its tracks without realizing it. She had gone back to the shrine to change after the wedding, not realizing exactly how bothered she'd been by the relative silence between her and the idol until she found herself utterly unable to speak to her. In that moment she decided: it was all or nothing. She would see Minako tonight, and her apology would be accepted or the two would never speak again.

Rei flagged a taxi, not wanting to bother with the bus system. Mako-chan had been surprisingly distracted when supplying the address of the hotel Minako was staying at, though Rei suspected it had a lot to do with her giddiness at catching the bouquet, and Motoki's subsequent proposal.

The ride to the hotel seemed to take an eternity; the time it took for Minako to answer the door even longer. The bottom of her hair was wet, and she was wrapped in a bathrobe; Rei shivered at the idea that she may have nothing underneath.

"Oh, it's you." Minako turned her back to the miko but left the door open. After a moment of hesitation, Rei followed, swallowing her nerves as she shut the door with a resounding click behind her.

Minako stepped out on the terrace and shed her robe; a hot tub bubbled merrily in the moonlight as she revealed her bikini-clad form. Without sparing a glance in the miko's direction, Minako slid back into the tub. Immersed between the jets, she finally looked in Rei's direction. "Yes?"

It was Rei's turn to catch her breath, as the sight of the idol wearing so little set her mind racing and her cheeks ablaze. "I'm... I'm sorry, Minako."

"Oh? For what?" Minako raised an eyebrow, otherwise betraying nothing on her face.

"For insulting you."

"Is that so? It's certainly not the first time you've been harsh with me."

"Yes." Rei looked away, staring out at the city lights. "I don't know where the words came from but I didn't mean them. You don't really look tired or old. I was just trying to make conversation."

"I see." Minako remained stoic, and Rei grew more nervous. Her not saying anything was somehow worse than if she were to scream at her or berate her in return.

"Does... Does that mean we're okay?" Rei's hands gripped the terrace railing; she was grateful that in the darkness Minako wouldn't be able to see them trembling.

"You're pretty awful at making conversation." Before Minako could answer further, there was a knock on the front door of the suite. "Wait here," she commanded, as she exited the hot tub and toweled off, re-wrapping the robe tightly around her.

Rei watched from the shadows as Minako greeted the bellhop bringing her room service with what had to be feigned enthusiasm. Double-locking the door after the server had left, she re-emerged on the terrace moments later with a bottle of champagne.

Warily, their eyes met for a moment before Minako turned her attention to the opening the bottle. "Did you come just to apologize?" The champagne opened with a resounding 'pop'.

"Would you like me to go?" Rei's heart sank at the thought of losing Minako permanently, which currently seemed like a very real possibility.

"Provided you can keep the insults to a bare minimum, you may as well join me." Minako smirked, slipping past Rei back into the suite. "I've got another bathing suit that should fit you," she offered while pulling two champagne glasses from a cupboard, "or given the privacy of the terrace, we can treat it like we're at an onsen."

Without realizing it, Rei let out a chuckle. Not only was Minako not kicking her out, she was offering to be naked with her. She made a mental note to provide an extra-special offering to the gods later. "Thank you. Whichever you prefer." Her reply was softer than she intended.

Minako set the champagne glasses down beside the hot tub. She took her time filling them, all the while secretly gathering her nerves. A shiver ran up her spine, one that had little to do with the temperature of the night air. "May as well be comfortable," she said airily. Off came the robe, thrown perhaps a little too hastily over a patio chair, though she waited until she was back under the water to remove her swimsuit. She watched Rei with what she hoped was a casual expression, though internally she was struggling not to blush. "Well?"

"Don't I get a robe?" Rei offered the second thing that came to her mind, the first being how terrible a tease Minako was. She half-wondered if it was intentional, as she felt a blush creeping into her cheeks. As it was, she was offered little choice other than to strip in front of the other girl, or back down from the unspoken challenge and ask for a swimsuit. Normally it shouldn't matter - with anyone else it wouldn't matter - and it wasn't like she'd never been to an onsen. She'd been naked with other women before. But this was somehow different. For some reason, everything always felt just a little different when it came to Minako.

"There should be one inside the closet by the door." Minako made no move to help Rei, who turned with a frustrated sigh to go back into the suite.

"I could just take your robe and lock you out here," Rei teased, as she lingered in the doorway.

"Yes, but I would just climb onto the next terrace and ask to be let in. What a story that would make for the tabloids," Minako smirked. "I think the press would simultaneously hate you and be eternally jealous of whomever got to open that door. And then how would you make that situation up to me?"

"You make a good point," Rei conceded, leaving the door noticeably open as she stepped inside to find the robe and gather her courage.

As promised, the robe was laid out in the front closet. After a moment of debate, Rei grabbed it, stepped into the bathroom and slipped out of her clothes. If anything, she was a little frightened at how oddly familiar the whole situation felt. Now that she knew Minako didn't hate her, she selfishly wanted to make each moment with her last as long as possible. Even better was that she could spend some time alone with her, knowing that she was likely to be leaving back to London the next day. Nobody else got to have Minako's time and attention tonight - only her.

"What's taking you so long?" Wearing only a towel around her shoulders, Minako appeared in the bathroom door. "You're not shy, are you Reiko?"

"Uh -" At both the interruption to her thoughts and the sight of Minako completely naked, Rei found herself completely without words. The only thought she had was of how perfectly Minako was proportioned. A familiar urge nagged at the back of her mind, reminding her that she wanted to get much closer and touch that soft skin. The intensity of her desire to be so close to someone else frightened Rei, so she fought it as she always did - though she usually inevitably lost.

"Come on. The champagne's getting warm," Minako attempted to coax Rei into moving toward the terrace, grabbing the robe in one arm as she took Rei's hand in the other. "Unless you think I'm looking tired and old again?"

"No. I, uh..." Rei realized with a start what the feeling was. She was in love with Minako. Whatever was between the two of them had always been intense - their personal competition, the way they fought together against the youma, the way she had felt when the idol died - but it had always been about so much more than just protecting the princess like she had first thought. In a flash, she pictured the two of them kissing, limbs entwined; she imagined - no, maybe remembered - dying together at the end of the Silver Millenium. It was too painful, and her eyess threatened to spill over. But why now? Hadn't their memories come back when their Senshi powers fully awaked long ago? "I'm good, let's go." If only to hide her face while she processed her thoughts, Rei led the way back out to the hot tub.

Glad that Rei seemed somewhat distracted, Minako found herself forgetting to breathe as she took in the miko's soft curves from every direction. She had forgotten just how beautiful her lover - no, former lover - was. More than anything, she wanted to press her face into the small of her back and tangle her fingers in her hair.

It was only when they stepped outside did Minako realize they were still holding hands. Though she didn't want to let go, she also didn't want to make Rei uncomfortable - or worse, make her want to create distance between them as she had before. "After you," she offered, gesturing to the hot tub.

Unwillingly, Rei broke the contact between the two and submerged herself in the hot water. With the relative darkness of the terrace, she hoped Minako couldn't see the flush in her cheeks. What she had just seen wasn't a topic that could be easily broached, especially given how vocal she had been previously about how little their past lives meant in regards to their freedom to live this one.

Climbing in after her, Minako passed one of the champagne glasses over. "To Usagi-chan's happiness," she offered as a toast, their glasses clinking. Rei barely managed to nod her agreement before Minako downed her glass in one large swig and immediately refilled it. Whoever had come up with the descriptor 'liquid courage' was so very right.

"Wow," Rei murmured. She had never seen Minako drink before, let alone had she seen anyone drink with that speed. "Are you sure you don't want the whole bottle to yourself?"

Fighting the urge to answer sarcasm with sarcasm, Minako decided to answer somewhat truthfully. "That had been the original plan... But I'm glad you showed up. And they're small glasses anyway." As if to prove that she could ration her drink, she sipped daintily at the second glass.

"I'm glad I came. And you'd better share, in that case." Finishing her own glass, Rei leaned over Minako to pour a refill. Though she didn't normally drink, the familiar competitive drive still fueled her reactions. Plus, any excuse for her skin to come into contact with Minako's seemed a very good one; their knees touched underwater and Rei felt butterflies in her stomach.

"You better save some for me. Or I'll make you pay for the next bottle." It was brutually unfair to Minako to have Rei so close to her and to not be able to wrap her arms around her, or to taste the water on her skin. But she would take what she could get.

As Rei topped off her glass and turned to go back to her seat, her footing slipped and she found herself twisting wildly. Before her head went under the water, she felt Minako's arms wrap around her torso, pulling her swiftly down into her lap. The sudden scare of the near-fall, combined with the sudden closeness of their bodies left Rei short of breath. Not wanting to move, she closed her eyes for a moment and relaxed back into the warmth. "You've got good reflexes," was the best she could manage as a response.

"Aside from balance issues, you've got a good sense of preservation. Your glass is still full," Minako smirked from underneath. Clearly the gods either had a good sense of humour or were up for granting her a few wishes - maybe both. Using one hand she took the champagne flute from Rei and set it on the ledge beside her own, leaving her other arm snaked around the miko's waist. Noticing that Rei was not moving away, she chanced wrapping the other arm back around her. Sensing a silent invitation when there was still no movement, she leaned forward, resting her forehead into her back. "You ok?"

"Yeah," Rei sighed. "Just got a little dizzy, I think. Just need a minute." While that was partly true, she found herself not wanting to move from the idol's lap; she now knew with certainty that what she had glimpsed had to be past memories. They made her present feelings make a lot more sense, but still gave no clear indication if they would be reciprocated. "Minako... How much do you remember of our past lives now?"

Minako's heart skipped a beat as she realized that Rei had actually used her first name. Not Venus, not some variant of reference to to her idol career - it was as if she was finally speaking directly to her. "I still remember everything. Why?"

"I think I understand more now than I did before." Not knowing how to properly word what she wanted to express, Rei found herself unsure of what to say.

"It might have had something to do with Luna calling Queen Serenity for help." Minako pressed her lips to Rei's back before she could help herself. 'Please remember', she silently willed.

Rei shivered at the featherlight touch, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. "Do you think... Well... Do you think Usagi-chan has changed things permanently now?" Somehow, having their inevitable conversation like this seemed easier than being face to face.

Minako struggled to find the right answer. "I think... I think Usagi-chan has proven that we have a better chance at getting the outcome we want in this life without it destroying the world around us." She reached up with both hands to brush hair away from the miko's face, hoping for a better indication of what she may be thinking if she could only see her eyes. Minako felt butterflies in her stomach as she realized that Rei was still not moving away or fighting her touch - if anything, she seemed to welcome the closeness.

"And... Is there something that you still want in this life?" Rei needed to be absolutely sure that this wasn't just Minako being... Polite. Or something. Just because things had been a certain way in the past didn't mean that they had to be the same again. If death could be cancelled out, surely love stood equal chance at being forgotten.

"Very much, yes." Minako silently willed for Rei to turn around, just to face her for a moment.

"I see." Rei closed her eyes again, suddenly noticing that Minako's arms were gone from her waist. Maybe it wasn't her after all that the star wanted. "Well, thank you for answering. I feel better now." Moving from Minako's lap, she stood up to move back to her original seat.

Feeling fire surge in her blood, Minako sprang to her feet. "Idiot." As Rei turned to answer, Minako leaned in, wrapping one arm around Rei's waist as she grabbed the back of her neck with the other, and captured Rei's lips in her own. "I'm always going to want you, in every lifetime" she murmured.

"Minako... I remember..." Rei whispered, pulling the idol even more closely into her. "I'm so glad." Deepening the kiss, it was her turn to pull the other girl into her lap.


End file.
